Wedding Shower
My sisters (with mom's help) threw me a beautiful wedding shower on Saturday. It was so nice. The first half everyone was included (uncles, dads, brothers- the guys), but after lunch the guys went and played paintball at my uncles farm and the gals played games and opened gifts. It was so nice to have my family together. I got to see my cousin Diana for the first time in a few years and so many other people.
I saw my great-grandma as well. Her 90th birthday was on the 27th of March so we had a brithday party for her at my grandma's church on Sunday. It was wonderful but hard at the same time. About a month ago Nan (my great-grandma) had a minor stroke. Mind you she has always been one of the healthiest, sharpest people I know. She was actually still walking a mile a day until this stroke. And the scariest part is that she couldn't remember my name. She knew she should know me, but she couldn't remember my name. She couldn't even remember her brothers' names. It's very sad. I mean my Nan could remember things from 80 years ago without a problem- and in the matter of a month she begins to forget her daughter's name. Just this past semester I interviewed her for three separate papers- it was so much fun. And what sucks is that I never backed those documents up and my computer crashed. I would have loved to keep those papers for my future family.
I guess this all brings up a lot of painful memories from when my Papa (grandfather) was so sick a few years ago. Watching him die was one of the worst things I have ever experienced. Watching him forget who people were, cry out in pain, say goodbye to his grandchildren, children and wife. Knowing that he would never see me get married or meet his great-grandchildren. He and my little cousin Alli (she was 2 at the time) were very close. She wanted to spend all her time with Papa, teasing him, reading with him, cuddling with him. Now Papa was not a cuddling person, but when it came to Alli, he couldn't get enough of her. Even at his sickest he would climb the steep stairs to Nan's apartment (upstairs from his house), and sit on this tiny little stool and have tea parties with her. It was beautiful. And watching them say goodbye to each other for the last time is a memory I will never forget.
My dad shared a story once about Papa during his last few days. My dad was sitting next to Papa when Papa called out "Mother?" (papa often called his wife "mother"). My dad said "no, I'm Jim" "well, where's mother?" My grandma must have heard him calling because she came into the room and asked if he needed anything. "I just want you" Papa quieted down and sat there and held her hand for well over an hour.
I don't know the purpose of me writing this. Perhaps it is because May 1st will be the 4th anniversery of his death. Perhaps because being at my Grandma's stirred a lot of memories. Or perhaps because it had such an impact on my life.
I wish so badly he could be at my wedding.
I saw my great-grandma as well. Her 90th birthday was on the 27th of March so we had a brithday party for her at my grandma's church on Sunday. It was wonderful but hard at the same time. About a month ago Nan (my great-grandma) had a minor stroke. Mind you she has always been one of the healthiest, sharpest people I know. She was actually still walking a mile a day until this stroke. And the scariest part is that she couldn't remember my name. She knew she should know me, but she couldn't remember my name. She couldn't even remember her brothers' names. It's very sad. I mean my Nan could remember things from 80 years ago without a problem- and in the matter of a month she begins to forget her daughter's name. Just this past semester I interviewed her for three separate papers- it was so much fun. And what sucks is that I never backed those documents up and my computer crashed. I would have loved to keep those papers for my future family.
I guess this all brings up a lot of painful memories from when my Papa (grandfather) was so sick a few years ago. Watching him die was one of the worst things I have ever experienced. Watching him forget who people were, cry out in pain, say goodbye to his grandchildren, children and wife. Knowing that he would never see me get married or meet his great-grandchildren. He and my little cousin Alli (she was 2 at the time) were very close. She wanted to spend all her time with Papa, teasing him, reading with him, cuddling with him. Now Papa was not a cuddling person, but when it came to Alli, he couldn't get enough of her. Even at his sickest he would climb the steep stairs to Nan's apartment (upstairs from his house), and sit on this tiny little stool and have tea parties with her. It was beautiful. And watching them say goodbye to each other for the last time is a memory I will never forget.
My dad shared a story once about Papa during his last few days. My dad was sitting next to Papa when Papa called out "Mother?" (papa often called his wife "mother"). My dad said "no, I'm Jim" "well, where's mother?" My grandma must have heard him calling because she came into the room and asked if he needed anything. "I just want you" Papa quieted down and sat there and held her hand for well over an hour.
I don't know the purpose of me writing this. Perhaps it is because May 1st will be the 4th anniversery of his death. Perhaps because being at my Grandma's stirred a lot of memories. Or perhaps because it had such an impact on my life.
I wish so badly he could be at my wedding.
posted by Calm at 11:27 AM
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